Fall

'nduja Induced Amnesia

by:
June  2, 2010
0
0 Ratings
'nduja Induced Amnesia
  • Serves 4-6
Author Notes

PHOTO CREDIT: Lisa M. Hamilton for Boccalone. This recipe was inspired by a recent lunch at the Purple Pig in Chicago which specializes in guess what? There I ordered from their menu of "smears", something between a bruschetta and open faced sandwich. I went with their pig neck rillette, which camed with grilled bread slices and a mostarda. Actually their mostarda was more like a compote lacking the spicy curry/mustard punch of the real thing but the rillettes were great. All do it yourself. But well before this I became aware of 'nduja, a spicy, spreadable salume made from pig insides. The New York Times posed this question; "How can mere meat inspire such intrigue? In 2009, ’nduja was the spicy underground taste that went mass market, making it the Lady Gaga of pork products." Actually it originated in Calabria and anything that begins with apostrophe N is a dialect word. So here, I've chosen to combine it with burrata cheese (Pugliese) and a couple of other table condiments. All DYI. Depending on where you live you will most likely order on-line. Mine comes from Boccalone in San Francisco. I'm sure at some point I'll try it out on pizza. —pierino

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 six ounce links, 'nduja
  • 1 small burrata cheese
  • 1 1 loaf, crusty oven baked bread with "eyes"
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Extra virgin olive oil (preferrably from California)
  • mostarda di Cremona
  • harissa
  • alioli
  • fennel pollen
  • fleur de sel
Directions
  1. Slice bread into 1/4" slices, sandwich size
  2. With a sharp knife or scissors open up the links. It's okay to leave in the casing
  3. Do the same with the burrata
  4. Place the condiments in individual ramekins for the table
  5. Meanwhile grill your bread slices. Rub with garlic and drizzle with just a tiny bit of olive oil
  6. Be sure you have some knives, small spoons or spreaders out for the DYI part. This "sandwich" can be open faced or lidded. Everybody get down tonight.
  7. BTW encourage your guests to add a little fleur del to the bread while it's still hot off the grill.
Tags:
Contest Entries

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • pierino
    pierino
  • jael
    jael
  • dymnyno
    dymnyno
pierino
Standup commis flâneur, and food historian. Pierino's background is in Italian and Spanish cooking but of late he's focused on frozen desserts. He is now finishing his cookbook, MALAVIDA! Can it get worse? Yes, it can. Visit the Malavida Brass Knuckle cooking page at Facebook and your posts are welcome there.

Popular on Food52

6 Reviews

pierino
pierino September 2, 2013
For Central Coast dwellers the Buona Tavola restaurants in SLO and Paso Robles are now bottling their own 'nduja.The also make salumi under their Ale-pia label. You can find them at the Templeton farmers market on Saturdays.
 
jael
jael June 5, 2010
Oh WOW. If there's anything I love more than nduja it's burrata... never thought of combining the two. Brilliant!
 
pierino
pierino June 5, 2010
Thanks jael. Burrata is actually a fairly "modern" cheese. It's history only goes back to the 1950's in Puglia. That's an eye blink in cheese legend and lore. Two neighboring Italian regions but I think the burrata softens the agressiveness of the Calabrian 'nduja. The burrata smells like angels' breath when you open it up and the 'nduja is the devil's playground.
 
dymnyno
dymnyno June 2, 2010
WOW...thanks for a great recipe...it can be ordered online at boccalone.com or purchased at the Ferry Building in SF. Will do this soon.
 
pierino
pierino June 2, 2010
If you can find good mostarda by all means add that to the table
 
pierino
pierino June 16, 2010
What do you know! Quality mostarda just appeared in the shop. It goes well with plate, it's fruity but has a mustardy/curry kick to it.